Chapter Text
Jungkook slinked through the streets of the brightly lit city with practiced precision. He knew every corner, every dark spot, every relevant face. Tonight was no different from any of his previous hunts, and he had no intention to be outside of the depths of the Ocean any longer than need be. His plan was simple. Dive in, swim out. Not too hard right? Humans were careless, after all.
He found himself just outside a flashy nightclub, wrinkling his nose in disgust. His strong aversion to alcohol or any human-made substance never necessarily aided him when it came to a meal, but instead narrowed his palate. Jungkook wasn’t a picky eater, but the last thing he wanted sliding down his gauntlet of a throat was sweet blood mixed with the bitter taste of fermented grapes and whatever else humans add to wine. In theory, this pet peeve of his should’ve driven him further away from such a place where alcohol came in abundance, but he waved off his instincts and propped the door open, slithering inside.
Jungkook was a predator, a monster, a sailors’ nightmare. He was mostly instinct-driven, but not stupid. His species had been identified a decade or two ago, which made his feedings scarcer. Humans had learned to warn each other, to watch for signs, to look out for any hint of a siren, and to report suspicious behaviour to the authorities. But above all, they were still careless. Jungkook figured that even a siren couldn’t drive out the millennia-long human belief of believing they were at the top of the food chain, the apex predator. Either way, if you thought a few nosy pairs of watchful eyes were gonna keep a starving predator from pursuing a hunt, you were dead wrong. Besides, his dietary restriction to human flesh was helping with their overpopulation issue. Really, they should be thanking him!
The inside of the bar was no different from the outside. Strobe lights illuminated the walls as the latest catchy pop tune blared from the speakers. Intoxicated bodies pressed up against each other, dancing and laughing. So blissfully unaware. Such easy prey.
But even without his disgust towards alcohol, Jungkook wanted a little more tonight. Scanning the club, his eyes landed on a man seated in the corner, away from most of the action. A grin formed across his face as he observed the man’s perfect features, from his mop of dark wavy hair to his tanned skin kissed with tiny facial moles. His enhanced vision allowed him to gaze at each one, alongside his mismatched eyelids and the perfect slope of his nose. This was the guy. This was the meal. He really could’ve passed for a siren, Jungkook thought to himself as he made his way across the club.
As he approached the other man, Jungkook noticed a few things. This man was not intoxicated, evident by the scent of his blood, and he was fidgeting with his hands, almost like he was waiting for someone. He was also even more strikingly beautiful up close, so much that Jungkook almost felt bad for what he intended to do with him.
“Hello,” the siren greeted, sliding into the seat across him. His act was perfected after years of spectating and stalking his prey. He tucked a loose strand of dark hair behind his ear, and leaned in on his elbows, ink snaking up his right arm.
The man looked up at his sudden appearance, and his eyes widened at the siren, flustered. Not particularly surprising. The human mind was so pathetically weak when faced with the forces of the Ocean’s children. This was going to be easy. Dive in, swim out. Lure him in and then tear him apart limb from limb.
Jungkook continued on: “busy night huh? You look lonely. You don’t mind if I sit here right?”
The man looked at him, curiosity filling his dark eyes. Such pretty eyes they were. “No, not at all. I’m not really doing much of anything right now. Um, how’s your night?”
There was his opening. Jungkook might be a superior creature, but he still liked to get real consent before he started using his siren charm. After all, he was above humankind. That should mean he could get his way, charm or not. He’d done a few runs picking up chicks with zero charm at all in the past before, too. Honestly, even though he didn’t exactly feel human emotions, he felt that he was doing a service, being so generous to consider such feelings before swinging the encounter in his direction. Lots of human men didn’t even bother with that. What a ridiculous species.
“My night’s been fine,” Jungkook answered, shifting his weight in his chair. Observing the man across from him, he began to notice more. From the way his bangs swooped in just above his eyes, yet a few strands fell in front. How broad his shoulder were. He couldn’t see below his stomach as it was obscured by the table, but he figured his body was appetizing. Tapping into the ancient power swirling in his bloodstream, Jungkook struck up a question:
“You should come to my house. It’s not very far and it’s much quieter than this place. We could sit and have a drink, maybe.”
He was not expecting the reply that came in the slightest.
“I’d love to, but you see, I’ve got a busy day at work tomorrow,” the other man sighed, eyes shifting to his left. “We also just met. Isn’t that awkward? I don’t mind meeting here again some other time though,” a small smile broke his perfect lips.
Okay What.
No seriously, what?
What the actual fuck? A dog talking would’ve been more believable than whatever the hell just happened. What?
Jungkook had been alive for one hundred and twenty six years. In all that time, he had not once used his charm on a human but failed to take control of the wheel. He’d never met anything charm-resistant. He’d even tried it out on animals, for fucks’ sake, and it worked just fine. If he could charm a dog what difference was it? Why was this guy special? He was a human, pathetic and useless. A race that was doomed to fail from the moment they began rejecting nature for technology. Any century now they’d collapse, falling to the bottom of the food chain, helpless in a world they’d tried to control and claim as their own. Even the dogs would live longer, at least they had survival instincts. Humans were dumb. They had too many feelings. They couldn’t do anything right. So why was this hunk of a guy at some random nightclub on a Tuesday night so special? Was he actually a siren? No way. Jungkook would’ve smelled the venom. Besides, Jungkook had even charmed a few sirens during his many moons on Planet Earth. A human of all things being an exception was unheard of, and absolutely batshit fucking crazy, pardon the profanities.
It was an insult not just to him, but to all of sirenkind. To the very biological superiority he had over this stupid clubgoer at this stupid club. Jungkook was furious. If he was one thing it was easily angered, and you’d probably have correctly assumed by now that a siren’s rage is much worse than the puny human equivalent. It was a hit to his ego, to his pride in his species. And sure, maybe this guy was entirely unaware, but Jungkook didn’t care. All he saw was the natural order of life being flipped upside down, so he couldn’t really help his face darkening and his eyebrow twitching in the moment.
“Did I say something wrong? I’m sorry, are you okay?” The other man looked slightly worried. Most people would, seeing an enraged siren so close to their face.
Jungkook couldn’t hold it in.
“How the fuck are you doing that.” The silence between the pair was deafening. At least thirty whole seconds of staring between the pair. One furious, one confused and nervous. The man shifted again.
“I beg your pardon?”
The siren stiffened in his chair. This was an insult to the Ocean, to him, to everything he’d ever held dear. “You know damn fucking well what I’m talking about. Don’t play dumb, human. Unless that’s not what you are.”
Okay, maybe he should’ve kept it a little more discreet. The wavy haired man’s eyes widened just a bit, not a noticeable amount, but enough for a siren to catch it in the act. Jungkook had a feeling he knew what was coming next.
He stood up in a hurry, quickly patting his pockets and grabbing his bag. ”Sorry, I think my cab is here. Same time tomorrow? I just need some air and rest.”
He hurried up and almost ran through the crowd towards the exit.
And then he was gone.
And then Jungkook was alone.
Alone contemplating the absolute weirdest moment of his entire century and a quarter alive. The other man had picked it up. He knew what he was. Jungkook caught the eye twitch, alongside three other telltale signs of recognition and fear forming in humans. He’d barely even gotten to talk to the guy, and now here he was, alone, and still hungry. Hopefully he hadn’t made a scene. He really wasn’t in the mood to find himself another club.
But why would he offer to come back? Had he just said that to confuse Jungkook? To shut him up? In the heat of the moment? If he really were human, his bravery was admirable. Maybe he assumed that Jungkook wouldn’t hurt him in such a crowded space. Maybe he was already contacting the authorities and they were going to come tomorrow and seize him. Damn you humans and your stupid protocols for anything you can’t comprehend.
Whatever. Jungkook was fine. He’d find dinner elsewhere, and come back tomorrow. Even if he didn’t end up eating the mystery guy, maybe he’d gain something valuable out of this. He’d ask the Ocean for advice. He needed to get back quickly anyway. He was running out of air and needed water in his gills in the next hour or so.
The siren stood up, and made his way back through the crowd. There was no way he was letting this go. Even if the other really was pulling his tail, he’d track him down to a coordinate on a map and question him about everything. The guy was either dangerously stupid or an absolute genius, and Jungkook didn’t take kindly to humans having secrets. No lesser species should have anything he couldn’t. It was his right, in his siren brain.
When he reached the door and stepped outside back into city lights and wind on his cheeks, Jungkook began mapping out a few ideas. He couldn’t stop thinking the same 3 thoughts. He wasn’t in a million years going without answers on this one. A human? Charm resistant? It sounded like something out of some bullshit cliché love story. Not real life. He’d demand answers.
And so he went, taking off towards the blackened horizon and the body of water that lay below it. His eternal home and his dearest creator and mother. Jungkook was petty when it came to seemingly minuscule issues like this one.
He had questions; he demanded the truth.